


Betrayed

by AnonymityisCrucial



Series: Whumptober 2018 [6]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Bromance, Brotherly Relationship, Deadbeat James Macgyver, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, For the Win, Gen, I love what these two have, Sad!Mac, asshole, caring!jack, hells yeah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 08:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16446335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonymityisCrucial/pseuds/AnonymityisCrucial
Summary: Day 6: BetrayedJack shows up at Mac's house after feeling like something is wrong, and it's a good thing he did because Mac has his bags packed and is ready to go. After betrayal after betrayal, Mac wants to leave before anyone else can leave him first. All he needs to see is how much people care about him, and Jack, his brother in all but blood, is more than willing to do just that.





	Betrayed

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this is definitely more emotional whump than physical, which is waaaayyyyyyy more fun if I do say so myself. Break downs are always fun to induce, and then repairing the damage, mwah! Magnifique! As per usual, not edited at all, haven't even gone back to read it. I just wrote it straight through.

Mac had never felt such a strong feeling of anger until he discovered that his father had been watching his every move, planning out every step of his journey, for his entire life. He had been angry when Nikki betrayed them, and then Thorton, and then Matty had, in Mac’s book, betrayed him as well, his confidence and loyalty. Then his father appeared again, apparently the head of the organization he had been working for for years, and then he kept discovering thing after thing that made him realize that his whole life was nothing but a lie.

He’d been left behind and betrayed by so many people in his life, it was only a matter of time before the rest of them left to. Cage already escaped from the mess, though with her secret intact. All that was left was Bozer, Riley, and Jack to leave him as well. Mac didn’t really feel like waiting, so he had packed up two duffles and his finger hovered over the send button that would give Matty his resignation, right when Jack happened to walk in.

“Hey Mac, I did knock this time, believe me, but no one answered, so I just let myself in….” Jack spoke, trailing off as he spotted Mac, standing in the living room, bags at his feet and phone in his hand, a kicked puppy expression plastered across his face. “Hey man, what’s wrong? What happened? Is everyone alright?”

Jack quickly walked over to his partner and looked like he wanted to hug the blonde, but decided against it, because when he looked in Mac’s eyes, he saw something he only saw once before, and Jack hated it. He slowly moved his hand out and gently took the phone from his partner’s hands, turning it off and pocketing it as he raised his other hand in an “easy” type motion.

“Look, whatever you’re thinking of doing, let’s think aloud for once in your life, with emotions and feelings rather than technobabble, and I swear to god if you tell me you’re fine, you ain’t seein’ this phone ever again. Now, let’s sit down and talk it out, okay Mac?” The blonde nodded slowly, seeming not quite there, probably because he wasn’t expecting Jack to appear at that moment. They sat down on the couch and Mac fiddled with his fingers until a paperclip was pressed to them. He silently took it and began shaping it into something. “Alright, you wanna talk or should I, cause you know I love to talk and I will, non-stop.”

“Everyone leaves or betrays me. I was getting ahead of the curve.” Jack blinked a few times at the sudden words, spoken with a soft sadness laced with anger and defeat, a tone he didn’t ever want to hear Mac speak with.

“What do you mean man, what’s going on in that big brain of yours?”

“First Nikki, then Thorton, then Matty, and Cage, and now my dad. It’s only a matter of time before you leave, or Riley, or Bozer. I was going to leave instead, just to keep ahead of everything. Can’t be betrayed when you’re not even there right?” Mac said with a shrug and a sad smile. He looked up at Jack and the older man’s heart clenched at the unshed tears in his partner’s eyes. “It’s only a matter of time.”

“Mac, bud, running isn’t an option, and I am never going to leave you, trust me. I swear on my father’s grave. I’m with you till the end of the line.” Mac let out a sharp laugh.

“I understood that reference.” Jack chuckled.

“And I understood that one. Look man, our little family, you, me, Riley, and Bozer, ain’t nothing in this world that could tear that apart except for stupid decisions like running away from your problems instead of facing them. Now, walk me through everything, I’ve got all the time in the world.”

“How would you feel if your dad walked out on you one day, and then your whole life you spent hating him, or wondering what you did wrong to make him leave, or wishing that you could maybe have been a better kid, or looked less like your mom so maybe he wouldn’t have always been so distant after she died because he couldn’t look at your face without feeling angry or sad,” Mac rambled, breath running out as tears slowly started to fall. “Or when you got into MIT and then dropped out to join the Army and become an EOD and then meet a stupid, brave, stubborn, and loyal as hell partner who punched you in the face when you two first meet.” Jack chuckled at that part. It felt like it was a lifetime ago that they couldn’t stand one another.

“Or when you left the Army and joined a government think tank that was actually a government organization that contained threats that people didn’t even realize were threats, and wouldn’t because they were taken care of. How would you feel if your entire life you thought you were working through everything on your own, doing things by yourself, accomplishing so much, and then learn that it was all orchestrated by your missing father? He pulled strings to get me admitted, he placed me where I was in the Army, he placed you as my partner, and he recruited us both, using us, using me for his own gain without even having to interact with me until it was crucial for his survival and gain that we do meet again.” 

Mac was heaving with exertion, tears falling heavily down his face. He had leapt to his feet and started pacing halfway through his rant, paperclip forgotten, twisted into a mangled mess, and his hands were running through his hair harshly. Jack stood quickly and wrapped his arms around his partner, hugging him tightly as Mac tensed for a moment before breaking down in sobs, clutching Jack like a lifeline.

“Hey man, let it out. I know you’ve been holding this all in for years, and everything’s just come crashing down these past couple months. It was only a matter of time. I’m just glad I chose this night to stop by. I don’t even remember why I popped by in the first place,” Jack said with a chuckle. Mac choked out a laugh before sniffing and pulling away, wiping his face with his sleeve. He never looked more like a kid than in that moment, eyes shiny with tears, big and pleading for comfort, sniffing, wiping away snot and tears with his sleeve. Jack kept his hands on his partner’s shoulders, to let him know he was there and always would be.

“Sorry Jack.”

“Nope, nope, no, you don’t get to do that alright? No apologizing for valid feelings. I am going to refute a couple things though, alright?”

“I’m just surprised you know what refute means.”

“Oh shut up,” Jack said with a smirk, lightly smacking Mac’s head, who gave a small smile and laugh in response. “See, I was going to try to make you feel better, but now I don’t really know,” Jack joked and Mac rolled his eyes, brushing Jack’s hands off his shoulders.

“Jack…”

“Okay fine, you got me. He might have pulled a few strings to get you in, but what you did while there, that’s all you. Getting to the point where you can apply to MIT, that’s all you. Having Bozer as a friend, one that would go through hell and back for you, that’s all you. Joining the Army, your choice. Our friendship, that’s all us. Your dad may have stuck us together, but you bet your ass that what we have isn’t something your old man was betting on. Being the best EOD tech there is? All you. Saving countless lives during our time at Phoenix?”

“All me?”

 

“Exactly, you’re catching on. Look man, people are going to come and go, they’re going to be there for you or make you lose faith. That’s just life. It’s all up to you how you go about your life. Are you going to stand up and keep those you think of as family close and strengthen your bonds, or are you going to run before anything else can happen, straining the relationship you do have in the process? Your life is on you. Your old man may have done a bit of steering, but your want to help people, save them, your ability to make something out of nothing, your compassion, loyalty, thoughts, emotions, smarts, that’s all you. Don’t let anyone make you think otherwise brother. And if someone tries, just point me in their direction and you won’t have to deal with them again.”

Mac was tearing up again, but a smile was on his face this time. Jack felt tears in his eyes as well, so he quickly wiped them away as Mac laughed at him. Sniffing, Jack put on his best offended expression.

“Is The Jack Dalton getting misty eyed?”

“Shut up Mac, you need to dust better in here is all,” Jack said, noting how Mac shifted slightly, something flashing behind his eyes. Rolling his eyes, Jack tugged Mac to him. “Come’re man.” Mac wrapped his arms around the older man and shoved his face into his shoulder. He muttered something, but it got muffled by Jack’s jacket, causing him to chuckled. “I can’t understand you bud, you gotta move your face.”

“I said, thank you, for being here.”

“My spidey senses were tingling and suddenly I’m at your house.”

“Well thank your spidey senses for me then,” Mac said before re-burying his face.

“No problem kid,” Jack said, gently rubbing Mac’s back, ready to hold the younger as long as he needed to be held. “No problem at all.


End file.
